Bahrain court rules national safety act ‘constitutional’

Bahrain’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday rejected a challenge to the constitutionality of provisions in the National Safety Act.

The ruling follows an application by the prime minister to the court on the constitutionality of articles of Royal Decree 18/2011 on the state of national safety.

Bahrain said that the National Safety Act was declared on March 15 after its institutions, economy, citizens and residents had come under threat.

The order “authorised the commander of Bahrain’s defense forces to take all necessary measures to protect the safety of the country and its citizens.”

“These measures will be implemented by the Bahraini defense forces, the general security forces, the national guard and any other forces if necessary,” the official statement said.

The act however did not suspend political societies or freeze the regular sessions of the two chambers of the bicameral parliament.

It was lifted on June 1, two weeks ahead of schedule.

Trials of people suspected of illegal activities under the National Safety Act have been suspended pending the ruling of the Constitutional Court after lawyers said that the charges against their clients should be dismissed.

Al Wefaq Islamic society has been pushing for the non-constitutionality of the act.

The Constitutional Court was established in 2002 and Dhouha Al Zayani became its first woman judge member in 2007.